A69028:692
The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…
The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as it affordeth both milk for babes, and strong meat for such as are at full age / by ... Nicholas Bifield ; ... now published ... by his son, Adoniram Bifield.The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as it affordeth both milke for babes, and strong meat for such as are at full age / by ... Nicholas Bifield ; ... now published ... by his sonne, Adoniram Bifield.
London: printed by G.M. for Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith, 1626
THE CREED. › Article 1 › I Believe in God.THE CREEDE. › Article 1 › I Beleeue in God.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now God is Immutable in four respects:
Now God is Immutable in foure respects:
1. In essence or substance, and so he cannot be changed to a-another essence or Nature, he cannot die, as having Immortality alone, he is always in act, he hath not possibilities, ⟨p. 106⟩he is not changed so much as by motion, neither in respect of place or working: not in respect of place, because he fills all things, and is simply immense and infinite: not in respect of working, because he only hath the glory to work, and yet be quiet in operation and unmoveable: nor can he be changed by growth or alteration in substance, because being immense, he cannot wax bigger by Augmentation, nor lesser by Diminution: and finally, he cannot be changed by suffering from any other, as being that only essence that is impatible. Thus the Psalmist saith that God is always the same. Psal. 102. 28. and that the Lord stands upon in his Title, when he calls himself, I am, or I am that I am, Exodus 3.
1. In essence or substance, and so he cannot bee changed to a-another essence or Nature, he cannot die, as hauing Immortality alone, hee is alwaies in act, hee hath not possibilities, ⟨p. 106⟩he is not changed so much as by motion, neither in respect of place or working: not in respect of place, because he fills all things, and is simply immense and infinite: not in respect of working, because he onely hath the glory to worke, and yet be quiet in operation and vnmoueable: nor can he be changed by growth or alteration in substance, because being immense, he cannot wax bigger by Augmentation, nor lesser by Diminution: and finally, he cannot be changed by suffering from any other, as being that onely essence that is impatible. Thus the Psalmist saith that God is alwaies the same.